It is frequently the case that an author will send a document to a remote location which is equipped and configured to perform a print job. Typically, the remote location includes printing presses that are well-suited to produce many copies of the document. Unfortunately, producing a print job that includes a large number of copies involves some risk, in that if the copies include color errors the entire printed batch may be worthless. Such color errors can result, for example, when colors are not printed with enough accuracy, or when the printed colors do not represent the exact colors intended by the content designer. As a result, it is common to create a proof, which is sent to the author, typically using a common carrier. If the proof is flawed, corrections may be made, and a second proof printed for the author's approval. This process can be continued and/or repeated until the results of the proof are correct (e.g. acceptable to the content designer). Upon approval of the proof, a print job including many copies of the document can be printed. Accordingly, by using the proof, costly errors can be prevented. However, the entire process can be time-consuming, in part because the proof must be transmitted back to the author for approval.
An alternate system involves insertion of color bars or some multi-color patches within a document contained within a print job. The color bars are configured to have a standardized appearance when properly printed. Thus, the printer at the remote location can print a proof of the document, including the required color bars. The color bars can be checked, to confirm that they are within tolerances of a standard appearance. The check may be made visually, by a person, or by use of a tool, such as a densitometer, calorimeter or spectrophotometer. Where the results of the check indicate, the print job may be completed.
Use of color bars is quite common, particularly in situations where color consistency between proofs printed at different sites, between proofs and a production run or between different production runs must be ensured. However, in many cases the color bars themselves are detrimental, in that it is generally not desirable to have color bars in the actual print job. Thus, after the proof is approved, the document file itself may be altered, to remove the color bars, or the printed pages may be cropped, thereby removing areas wherein the color bars are defined. Color bars also tend to provide a somewhat generic test of a subset of the colors contained within the proof, and do not provide any emphasis on a range of colors which are particularly important for the document. Thus, while the proof may appear to be correctly printed based on a review of colors present in the document which were tested by the color bars, colors in certain areas of the document may be somewhat altered from their desired hue. For example, a variety of different flesh tones may not be correctly printed. This error may result because the color bars may not be configured to provide adequate checking for the colors required by a particular print job.
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for printing color documents from a remote location, while ensuring color consistency and accuracy, are required.